Taylor Swift

[Kim]

Photo Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images


Taylor Swift takes a moment to eye her beautiful trophy during the 2011 CMT Artists of the Year celebration.

[Kim]

Taylor Swift ACM Awards Date to Be Cancer-Stricken Teen



Never underestimate the power of Facebook. As The Boot reported earlier today, 18-year-old cancer patient Kevin McGuire took to the social media site to ask Taylor Swift to be his prom date. This afternoon, he got her answer.

"Kevin, I'm so sorry but I won't be able to make it to your prom," the country superstar wrote on her Facebook page. "But I was wondering, the ACM Awards are coming up ... Would you be my date? Love, Taylor."

Kevin, a Somerdale, New Jersey high school football star, has an excellent wing woman to thank for this development. His sister Victoria is actually responsible for starting the Facebook page, inviting the 'Ours' singer to Kevin's prom.

"Nothing, and I mean NOTHING brightens Kevin's day more than Taylor Swift," Victoria writes on the Facebook page, which was first publicized by HuffPost Impact. "Kevin DESERVES more than anyone a special event in his life."

She went on to call the varsity football player, the "kindest, most noble 18 year old a person could fathom meeting." Despite his years of chemo, spinal taps and bone marrow screenings, the resilient teen has stayed active with at Sterling High School, playing football and basketball. According to his sister, though, he's never asked, 'Why me?'

Kevin was recently diagnosed with Leukemia for the second time. He was first given this prognosis at the age of 13, only to get the all clear in 2010. He'll celebrate his 19th birthday on June 1, the same day as prom, but odds are he won't mind celebrating a few months earlier at the Academy of Country Music Awards April 1.

[Kim]

Taylor Swift Plays Dress-Up in Wedding Attire



Twitter


While most celebrities are known for random party photos or the occasional didn’t-mean-for-anyone-to-see-that-moment snapshots, Taylor Swift recently retweeted a friend’s candid photo of her — playing dress-up. Looking like happy little girls enjoying a moment of delight, Swift and pal Claire Kislinger are decked out in charming dresses, and Swift’s appears to be a wedding gown with a matching veil of some sort.

Kislinger has donned a strapless rose-colored lacy dress with a crown of roses atop her auburn locks. With Swift’s vintage sunglasses and long strands of peals draped over her neck, the two truly do look like two girls out of a storybook. But then there’s also that wine rack right behind them reminding the viewer that these are not just two little girls playing dress up in mom’s closet, but two grown women having a good time and not being afraid to goof around for a bit.

Tweeting the whimsical photo, Kislinger wrote, “Oh no….it’s dress up night,” and Swift soon retweeted her friend’s pic. Perhaps they were pretending it was Swift’s wedding or maybe they just grabbed a couple of gowns at random, but whatever the case, the two look like two peas in a pod.

Though she’s a 22-year-old international phenomenon who has recently traveled the world, launched her own perfume line, landed songs in a major soundtrack, provided the voice for a film that turned out to be a box office hit, made countless talk show appearances and balanced all that comes from being an in-demand star, it’s nice to see Swift truly doesn’t take herself too seriously. She’s real, and that seems to be one of the things her fans most admire.

[Kim]

Taylor Swift Rumored to Have Crush on One Direction Boy Band Member



Paul Kane / Neilson Barnard, Getty Images


Throughout her career, we’ve seen Taylor Swift courted by a few big-time stars. In her younger days, she and Joe Jonas were a serious item, while she’s since been tied to John Mayer and even Tim Tebow (though, that was just a rumor). And who could forget the paparazzi shots of Swift cuddling up to Jake Gyllenhaal in her hometown of Nashville? Now, the gossip columnists have us believing that country music’s most eligible bachelorette may have her eye on One Direction member Harry Styles.

Truth be told, the back story sounds a lot like a bunch of he-said-she-said. And surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly), Justin Bieber is at the center of it. After bringing the country sweetheart to tears on ‘Punk’d,’ the Biebs reportedly spoke up that he knows a big-time celebrity who is crushing on Styles. Unfortunately, he also said he’s “sworn to secrecy,” but it’s not too hard to guess who he was referring to.

And other sources say it’s true. According to the Press Association, a source said, “Taylor is a huge One Direction fan and was excitedly bopping along to the boys when they performed on stage [at the Kids' Choice Awards.] Then she was chatting to Justin and told him how hot she found Harry.”

Country fans might find themselves asking, “Who the heck is Harry Styles?” The 18-year-old is a member of One Direction, a British-Irish boy band who got their start after appearing on ‘The X- Factor’ and signing to Simon Cowell’s label.

It’s hard to say what will happen between Swift and Styles from here, but we know one thing for sure: Both of these young stars are single — so it might only be a matter of time. At the very least, the media will have a field day with this one.

[Kim]

Getty Images


Taylor Swift is reportedly being considered to portray music legend Joni Mitchell in "Girls Like Us," the big-screen adaptation of the book by Shelia Weller, which examines the life of the "Both Sides Now" writer, along with fellow singer-songwriters Carole King and Carly Simon.

Variety reports that although Taylor does not have an official offer on the table, she has been linked to the role of the Canadian-born performer for several months as other actresses have auditioned to play the other two leads in the film. "House" executive producer Katie Jacobs, who optioned the book several years ago, is directing from a script by John Sayles. While not officially "greenlit" yet, the film is tentatively scheduled to start production later this year when the three leads would be available for filming.

Earlier this year, Taylor was rumored to be joining the cast in the big-screen adaptation of "Les Miserable," although the role of Eponine ultimately went to Samantha Barks. Taylor made her film debut in 2010's "Valentine's Day" and voiced the part of Audrey in this year's "The Lorax," based on a story by Dr. Seuss.

The globally-recognized entertainer has expressed an interest in more film work and says she spends much of her time off reading scripts. But for the 22-year-old, there's more to the process than just being offered a role.

"Acting is something I've been fascinated by my entire life," Taylor tells MTV, adding that she would have to have the right part to consider taking a hiatus from her music career. "I would want to have the time, the ability and the love for something, the love for a character to where I could really make that commitment to it."

Regardless of when we'll next see Taylor on the big screen, she can currently be heard on the soundtrack to the blockbuster film, "The Hunger Games."

[Kim]

Taylor Swift Dresses Up for a Night on the Town in Shirley MacLaine’s Honor




It seems that Taylor Swift and her friends love a good dress up party now and then. But these girls aren’t donning black miniskirts and red high heels for a night on the town. No, they’re more likely to be found in ribbons and lace, looking more like something out of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ than ‘Sex and the City.’

Earlier this year, Swift tweeted a photo of herself and friend Claire Kislinger playing dress up in what seemed to be vintage wedding dresses ornamented with strands of pearls. Swift completed her fairytale ensemble with a veil and a pair of oversized sunglasses, while Winter tucked pink flowers into her hair.

The two girls were at it again this week, tugging at their inner little girls as they hit the town adorned in more vintage lace dresses. And this time they were accompanied by two friends — one of whom was Dianna Agron from ‘Glee’ — to celebrate the 77th birthday of actress Shirley MacLaine. “We dressed up full-time fancy and went out in celebration of Shirley MacLaine’s birthday,” Swift shared.

In a series of Instagram photos, Swift and her trio of girlfriends can be seen getting ready to go out, looking nymph-like in their pale hues of pinks and whites. With each girl sporting faux flowers or a dainty hat on her head, they headed out to celebrate. In one photo, the girls look quite pittoresque in their dresses, sitting together in what looks to be a restaurant. Another snapshot caught a plate with a dessert in the corner and “Happy Birthday Shirley MacLaine” scrawled out in chocolate sauce cursive.

All in all, it looks like Swift and her friends know how to creatively have a good time — and look quite classy in the process.

[Kim]

Taylor Swift Would Be Olivia Newton-John’s Pick for a ‘Grease’ Remake


As classic films like ‘Footloose’ and ‘Dirty Dancing’ come rolling off the line in updated versions (with characters who weren’t born when the originals were made), some are wondering if ‘Grease’ might be up next for a remake. The 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John seems to have all the trappings of a love story just ready for a facelift. And John says she knows exactly who would be the best person to fill her dancing shoes as Sandy: Taylor Swift.

In a recent interview, the Australian actress said she supposes the film may be remade at some point, and it seems she’s okay with the idea. “I’m sure they’ll try , and I think it would probably do well because people would be curious,” she told ‘Showbiz Tonight.’ “But there’s something about the originals … that people still want to see. But I’m sure they’ll do it, and they’ll do an updated version, and it’ll be great.”

Asked who she thought would make a great Sandy, the actress paused for a second before suggesting, “Lately, I’ve thought Taylor Swift could probably, because she’s very talented. And my daughter, I’ve always thought she could.”

This mention of Swift taking on the role of the high school Aussie (in line before her daughter!) seemed to make sense even to the interviewer. And it’s really not too much of a long shot. Swift has opened up in the past about her desire to get more involved in the film industry, citing chum Emma Stone as one of her acting inspirations. Plus, as we recently reported, rumors have been spreading about the possibility of the ‘Ours’ singer playing the part of Joni Mitchell in the upcoming film ‘Girls Like Us.’ Music-infused movies? That’s one thing we know Swift can pull off.

Whether or not a remake of ‘Grease’ is a possibility in the near future, it seems that Swift is getting her toe further and further into the waters of acting, and we’re guessing we’ll be seeing the star on the big screen again before too long.

[Kim]

Alan Jackson Won’t Stray From Country Sound, Tips Hat to Taylor Swift


Alan Jackson has had great success as a tried and true country artist. Newer acts, like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, have scored their success by straying from the old-fashioned country sound. But Jackson says he won’t go that route. The 53-year-old country legend plans to hold steady with his down South sound.

“I don’t think they’d cross me over, they tried that years ago. They came to me once and wanted me to take something off, and I wouldn’t do it because I didn’t want to change my sound to be on pop radio.”

It’s not that Jackson thinks there’s anything wrong with a country pop hybrid — he just insists that his fans don’t want him to make that type of music. He happens to be an admirer of Swift, and when he first heard her single, ‘Teardrops on My Guitar,’ he told his wife that it would be a big hit.

In fact, Jackson is such a fan of the country cutie that he hand-selected her to cover ‘Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)’ at his 2011 induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Jackson’s traditional country music has earned him dozens of awards, including a 2011 Grammy award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, thanks to his role in ‘As She’s Walking Away’ with the Zac Brown Band. He has also received several nods from the American Music Awards, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

At the 2002 CMAs, Jackson set a record for having the most nominations in a single year with 10. Many of them were for the song ‘Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)’ and it also brought his career total up to the second number of most nominations ever, just trailing George Strait. ‘Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)’ also was nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year.

[Kim]

Taylor Swift Drops New Line of Mother’s Day Cards



Jason Merritt, Getty Images / American Greetings


Taylor Swift is known for her confessional songs regarding her romantic relationships, but she is also able to celebrate other interpersonal connections through a different artform. The singer has released a new line of Mother’s Day cards via American Greetings, which feature her imagery of her tunes, like ‘Stay Beautiful’ and ‘The Best Day,’ the latter of which she penned for her own mom, Andrea.

With such descriptive lyrics, Swift’s catalog of songs certainly allows itself to be transposed to greeting cards. The 22-year-old superstar released Valentine’s Day cards last year, and that was a perfect match, given the romantic nature of so many of her songs.

But Swift’s lyrics lend themselves to greeting card sentiments no matter what the holiday.

According to Country Music Is Love, Lindsay Kalback, who works on the Swift brand team at the card maker, said, “We’ve worked very hard to ensure that this year’s Mother’s Day collection from Taylor had the right variety to help consumers celebrate all of the moms in their life.”

She continued, “The cards really do a great job of reflecting the details that make every relationship unique while still offering the casual tone, bold designs, and fun enhancements that have made the collection so popular. We can’t wait for shoppers to check out the collection and we are even more excited for moms to receive the cards.”

The new-for-2012 Mother’s Day cards definitely portray Swift’s cute country charm with their pastel color, girlish details and feminine imagery. Nab a sweet, heartfelt greeting for your mom. We bet she’ll love it.

[Kim]

Taylor Swift Donates $4M to Country Music Hall of Fame for Music Education


By now, everyone knows that award-winning country star Taylor Swift has a huge heart. And thanks to her award-winning, record-breaking music career, the ‘Mean’ hitmaker has a hefty bank account, too. What do you get when you put those things together? A gigantic donation to a new education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In fact, the six-time Grammy award winner’s donation of $4 million is the largest gift by a musician in Country Music Hall of Fame history, and now, the new education center will officially be known as the Taylor Swift Education Center. The exhibit and classroom space is scheduled to open in 2014. Not a bad legacy for the young country star, who will likely be just 24 or 25 when the center opens.

“In terms of what it will allow us to do, we do education very well now,” museum director Kyle Young told the Associated Press (via Billboard). “It will allow us to do what we do better, serve more people, develop new programs, and I’m happy to say that as we talked through this opportunity with Taylor, she very much wants to be involved in an advisory capacity in what we do. Is there a better person out there who’s in touch with a young audience? I think not. I was joking we should be paying her to do that. I was only joking.”

Country music’s sweetheart has a storied relationship with the Hall of Fame. She signed her record contract there and gave one of her first public performances on the building’s plaza. In the past, she has donated her talents to the All for the Hall fundraiser benefits and loaned the museum her dresses, stage costumes and instruments for display.

Since May 2010, a free-standing Taylor Swift multimedia exhibit has been one of the museum’s most popular attractions.

In addition to her generosity to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Swift has made the news a number of times in recent years thanks to her kind heart in general. Earlier this year, she invited two-time cancer patient Kevin McGuire to be her date at the ACMs after the 18-year-old invited Ms. Swift to his prom. Just this month, she made headlines for ensuring sure that a 13-year-old fan who missed Swift’s stop in Sacramento (due to a tragic drunk driving accident) would have tickets for her next show in the city and even sent her a goodie bag to tide her over.

Who knows? Maybe the next Taylor Swift will find his or her start in the forthcoming Taylor Swift Education Center. After all, that’s the goal for creating the education program.

[Kim]

Taylor Swift ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ Is A Different Yet More Intriguing End Of The World – Video Review
countrymusictattletale.com/




At the time of writing, it is December 21st, supposedly the end of the Mayan calendar and the day of the Apocalypse. While the ‘end of the world’ does not appear to have materialized in reality, when it comes to Taylor Swift’s latest video it is a different story entirely (and its release very appropriate for the time). The beginning of the whopping 6-minute video depicts Taylor (in Avril Lavigne-style ripped clothing and with pink-tipped hair) waking up in a desolate wasteland, covered in trash and looking like some sort of end-of-the-world kind of explosion has occurred. At this point Taylor begins her voiceover, of dramatic words that illustrate the scene, a montage of flashbacks flashing up on screen in quick succession, and a slow motion nod to when she met the boy in question. Taylor’s words reflect upon a dramatic and intense relationship that left destruction and loneliness, and it feels like a movie depicting something more than just love. The words continue on for some time, and strange images of Taylor not only spending time with this guy in their relationship but also doing things like intently staring at a lightbulb, poking it then drawing her finger quickly away when it burned. This is one of the first indications that this video is like no other of Taylor’s and is a new step for her.

When she summarizes, “I think the worst part of it all wasn’t losing him… it was losing me”, we are reminded of Taylor’s claims that she feels the song and video are about a girl whose world moves too fast for her, and she can’t keep up. The music kicks in and we go to the expected montage of good times in the relationship. Much of the relationship seems to have occurred in bars and highway cafes, on long stretches of road through mountains and the setting really highlights the emptiness of surroundings that allow a relationship to fill such a hole in a life, and be such a guiding light. It’s effective in avoiding any glamor.

As the chorus kicks in we see footage of Taylor, her boyfriend and their friends entering a gig, which slowly starts to show its wild side, and perhaps this is a physical indication of the trouble that lies ahead. This is set up in much the same way as a movie. The danger begins to mount through the second verse, as Taylor and the boy sit not talking in a hotel room, and almost appear not really with it, as if they’ve been consuming drugs or alcohol heavily and this adds to the danger of the bizarre world Taylor’s character has stepped into. This continues through shots of the boyfriend angering some tough guys and getting into a fight, and police turning up in another scene for him. The fight scene carries on through the second chorus, quick shots flashing up and Taylor, distraught, trying to break it up but it getting worse and worse. These could all be metaphors for a more psychological battle of a relationship and it’s all constructed very well.

Finally, it pans back to the gig, where strobe lighting and a strange transitional video effect gives the feel of Taylor’s character being on drugs, perhaps ecstasy, and perhaps this crazy rebel rave lifestyle is what she has gotten herself into and can’t escape. There are many hints throughout of all kinds of things, but we are brought back down to Earth with Taylor’s discovery of her boyfriend kissing someone else at the rave, and the relationship is ended and Taylor’s trust has been broken. The video’s drama and theatricality is very effective throughout and really draws you in as a viewer, particularly in its movie feel and with so much going on it has to be watched several times in order to discover everything (and even then I don’t think you can totally get it all). This video will be welcome to Taylor fans, who will love consuming every last part of it, and I’m sure will quote her spoken sections again and again, as they are quite poetic. It’s very apt for the Mayan Apocalypse which has been talked about a lot in the run up to December 21st, but offers a different take on what it is to experience the end of the world. In this way, Taylor is seen in an actual destructive desolate environment, but she is also showing the end of her world as she knew it, losing herself and everything she held dear, but rather meant more psychologically and metaphorically than anything else. There are a few interesting concepts in there and it’s nice to see some deep thinking coming of her after videos like ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’.

In addition, the change in style, reminding me of Avril Lavigne and Pink is welcome for me, and I think is a fantastic way to kick start her ascent to adulthood, and do so gracefully yet not in a boring way. I have always loved the rebel side to Taylor, and I really hope she will take the plunge and bring out her ‘bad girl’ side more. Although technically she is playing a good girl in a bad world here, this is still a step in the right direction and I think if she wants to develop her career and really grow as an artist, she needs to move from the ‘good girl yet victim of heartbreak’ image, in order to let her music and her fans mature. I feel this is just a chapter in the era of ‘Red’, and not so much that she is ready to grow up just yet, however now she knows she can do this successfully, perhaps she will think about it in the future.

Either way, I like this video. It’s different, deep and thoughtful, full of drama and theatricality, and is a hell of a lot grittier than some of her other videos. However, some of the spoken stuff can get a little cheesy for me, but perhaps I’m just not in the spirit of what she was trying to do. While naturally this does not even whisper country to me in the slightest, I think we can all agree that this is no longer her battlefield and that she has moved on to different things. This video is merely an articulation of that, and it seems to interpret the song well, and thinks far more outside the box than I expected.

However, if you were expecting something country, I think you’ll be disappointed.

youtu.be/vNoKguSdy4Y

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You would have thought that I would have burned out on Taylor by now. After a few years I usually do. In Taylors case...it is different though. I've surpassed 6 years as a fan and going stronger than ever.Since Country Weekly has rolled it up I have discovered some things. They really hate her there...there are folks that hate her and hate me for not hating her.
Confusing? Not really...I have met some folks there that I would like to continue knowing. I still am baffled by how some people judge you simple by the music that you listen too.
Anyway 2013 is going to be a huge year for myself and Taylor...lots of things in the works. I am glad to share with my friends...
After singing Ronan Taylor was spotted leaving with tears in her eyes

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It was pretty cool of Taylor to take that Cancer stricken girl out to lunch. Taylor wanted to keep it low key. She is awesome to do this for folks who are dying...
She is so much better than I because I sure couldn't handle it.




Taylor Swift‘s weekend included a lunch date on Saturday (Jan. 19) with Kayla Kincannon, a 17-year-old fan who has been battling brain cancer for the last year.

The connection was made following an exhaustive effort on behalf of Kincannon’s friends and family to gain the attention of the young fan’s favorite country music superstar. After countless emails, tweets and Facebook messages, their efforts paid off when Kincannon flew to Tennessee to meet the ‘Fearless’ hitmaker for a leisurely lunch.

“Cannot believe I just had lunch @taylorswift13 today, I was enchanted to meet you! Lol” Kincannon tweeted following the once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Naysayers thinking that Swift’s goodwill effort was merely a publicity stunt can think again. The young fan’s father, Brad Kincannon, took to his daughter’s official blog to praise the singer for genuine disposition.

“This was no quick meet and greet photo opp,” the doting dad gushed in a blog post. “We sat and talked to Taylor and her mom for two hours, had lunch and Kayla received a gift basket, then she signed pictures.”

Adding to his praise of Swift, Kincannon shares, “She is the sweetest, most down to earth person I have ever met! This was more than we ever expected! I’m so thankful to team Kayla, news, and everyone who made her dream come true! This was the best day ever for her and all of us!”

Swift has gained as much praise for her philanthropic ways as she has for her catalog of country hits. In fact, the big-hearted humanitarian recently donated 2,000 books to a hospital in the town where she grew up. Prior to that, she gave 14,000 books to the Nashville Public Library — those books were placed in circulation and gifted to low-income families.

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If there was ever any doubt that Taylor Swift led a fairy tale life (with maybe a few more Prince Charmings than we remember), well, the proof is in the picture.

The single once more singer is the latest star to get into character for Disney Parks, starring in a dreamy new print campaign shot by Annie Leibovitz.

And for someone whose hair gets almost as much press as her personal life, it's only fitting as to which character from the Disney archives she was tapped to portray.

Rapunzel, of course!

In the photo, commissioned by Disney and taken on June 20, 2012, in Culver City, the lusciously locked singer is seen hanging out (literally) of a castle's mossy tower, daydreaming, no doubt, of her knight in shining armorprince, while hanging out (not so literally) with every princess's BFF: some birds.

Consider us enchanted.

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Prior to this va-va-voom style transformation, the country singer was known for having more of a “cute” look. The Nashville beauty has appeared on more best dressed lists than we can count with her feminine – though sometimes girlish – styles.

And she must have a section of her closet devoted to just to adorable attire – we’re talking about her cat dress, cat sweater, and, yes, cat shoes, to name a few.

While precious – and we’re fans (meow!) – that doesn’t exactly scream sexy like her look in Madrid.

So we’re loving this transformation of Swift turning up the heat ... just as long as we get little feline fashion fixes interspersed every now and then because that’s just so her.